From thearchives - Published from 1982-96, Fidelity magazine was the predecessor ofCulture Wars.

Fallen Angels: Rome Condemns the Opus Angelorum (OA)

by Inge Bluemel

From the July/August 1992 issue of Fidelity
magazine

In a document signed buy Joseph
Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II, the Vatican issued a condemnation of
the Opus Angelorum (Work of the Holy Angels), a controversial group
headquartered in Austria whose purpose was the propagation of devotions to
angels based on the alleged private revelations of Gabriele Bitterlich.The Opus Angelorum is also prohibited
from using the “alleged revelations “ of Mrs. Bitterlich, which include the
names and functions of more than 600 angels (both good and bad) as well as long
lists of animals, plants and objects which allegedly radiate “demonic energy”
at Masses, in prayers, or in spiritual formation.Similarly, the Opus Angelorum is strictly prohibited form
“teaching or using” these theories “in any manner of form.”Also forbidden by the decree of the
Sacred Congregation is the use of consecrations to the angels and other
deviations form the norms of Catholic liturgical practice.

Bishop Reinhold Stecher,
ordinary of the Diocese of Innsbruck where the international headquarters of
the Opus Angelorum is located, expressed relief and satisfaction over the
decision from Rome.Stecher also
took the occasion to issue a note of warning about the increasing proliferation
of private revelations in the Church.“The time has come to be much more cautious in dealing with these things”
he said.“There is, especially in
pious circles,” he continued, “a dangerous susceptibility of the phenomena of
religious sensationalism, whose authenticity remains highly questionable.”Frequently these sings and wonders are
evidence of “religious pathology,” according to Stecher.“We should never forget,” the Bishop of
Innsbruck continued, “that Jesus Christ alone is our salvation, and that there
is only one faith for Catholics to which we must give our hearts’ assent,
namely, that which we know from the revelation based on Christ himself.”

In April l990, the Austrian
bishops prohibited the dissemination of the Opus Angelorum Handbook in their dioceses, as well as banned Opus Angelorum from
the use of diocesan facilities.Bishop Stecher had accused the Opus Angelorum of the demonization of
persons as well as the spreading of superstition.

In addition to the strictures
listed in the letter of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger issued in l983 (See “Gabriele’s
Angels,” Fidelity, July/August, l991), the current Vatican
document added the following norms:

The theories which derive from the alleged
revelations of Gabriele Bitterlich concerning the work of the angels,
their personal names, their rank and function may no longer be either
taught or in any way, either explicitly or implicitly, made use of in the organizational
structures of the Opus Angelorum or in any cult or in prayer or in
spiritual formation or in any public or private spirituality.The use and the dissemination of
books and other writings which contain the above-mentioned theories is
forbidden both within the above-mentioned organization as well as outside
its formal structures.

The various forms of consecration to the angels as
practiced in the Opus Angelorum are prohibited.

Also forbidden are the so-called remote dispensing of
the sacraments as well as the interpolation of texts, prayers and rituals
into the Eucharistic liturgy or the liturgy of the hours, which are
related either directly or indirectly to the above-mentioned
theories.

Exorcism may only be performed according to the norms
and discipline of the Church and only according to the use of
ecclesiastically approved formulae.

A delegate with plenipotentiary powers appointed by
the Vatican will work together with the local bishops to ensure that the
above-mentioned morns are put into force.He will also strive to regulate and clarify the
relationship between Opus Angelorum and the Order of the Holy Cross.

In an article which appeared in
the October-December l999 issue of Fatima
Family Messenger, Rev. Robert J. Fox, an American promoter of the Opus
Angelorum, accused Fidelity magazine
of irresponsible journalism for reporting the concerns of the Austrian and
German bishops and went on to claim that “the work of the angels is doctrinally
sound.”In a related article in
the same issue, Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J., claimed that Fidelity “had not verified the credibility of the author of the
critical article.”When contacted
by Fidelity, Father Fox said that he
planned to stop promoting both the private revelations of Mrs. Bitterlich and
the consecrations to the angels.

A more detailed story on the
consequences of Rome’s decision will follow in the September issue of Fidelity.